To say we are living thru extraordinarily trying times is an understatement. Businesses are closing, or are facing momentous setbacks, and at best contracting and changing to try and survive in an uncertain landscape. Employees are being laid off and forced to stay in their homes. Children are no longer able to attend schools. And we are no longer able to be in close proximity to one another. Social distancing is this new idea, and a term I had never hear of until about a month ago, but it has now become the new norm. So how are we expected to conduct business when we cannot sit face to face with our clients, sign contracts without a notary or even shake hands? How can we conduct business while social distancing?
The short answer is you cant, not the way we have been doing in for centuries anyway. Hopefully what we are experiencing is only temporary, but weather it is or it is not business needs to continue. So how can this be done while maintaining recent protocols? One thing we see a lot of businesses doing is bolstering their social media presence. Trying to capture sales and clients via the various social media platforms is not a new a marketing tactic, but in recent times having a presence on social media has never been more important. People are spending more time on their computers and less time outside their homes, social media now more then ever has become the portal to the outside world for a great many people. Engaging them with your business has never been easier or more vital.
Digital appointments and things like Facetime and Zoom have become standard in place of in person meetings. Unable to meet with clients face to face or in person, a digital meet up is the next best thing. People still want to see who their doing business with. Giving your clients the ability to see the people who they are dealing with is paramount in this new environment.
If you must still meet with your clients face to face, or a virtual appointment is not something your business is capable of executing, then make sure to practice safe social distancing. Wear masks and gloves, stay 6 feet apart. Explain to your clients or customers that they should be expected to do the same. It is not a matter of preference but a federal mandate and is in place to keep us all healthy
The best thing we can all do right now is be creative, think outside the box, don’t hold on to or get discourage by the inability to do things the way we used to. Hopefully things will return to normal soon but in the interim don’t give up, stay positive. Try new things, think about different ways to still engage and keep your businesses running while adhering to the health mandates. It might take some getting used to, and will certainly require some creative thinking, but we can still conduct business while maintaining our social distancing protocols. Just remember we are all in this together and in the end we can do this!